The present disclosure relates to a method of measuring a Raman scattered light and a container for a Raman scattered light measurement specimen. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method of measuring a Raman scattered light which is capable of detecting a Raman scattered light derived from a specimen at a high sensitivity, and a container for a Raman scattered light measurement specimen for use therein.
When a light is radiated to a material, in addition to a scattered light having the same wavelength as that of the radiated light, lights having wavelengths each different from that of the radiated light emitted from the material are generated. The reason for this is because molecules contained in the material are excited to a vibrational-excited state due to the radiated light, whereby a part of energy of the radiated light is transferred to the molecules and thus the wavelength of the radiated light is changed. A scattered light whose wavelength is changed to wavelengths each different from that of the radiated light is referred to as “a Raman scattered light.” The degree of shifting of the wavelength in the Raman scattered light is based on a vibration inherent in the molecules contained in the material to which the light is radiated. Therefore, the Raman scattered light is detected, an intensity is measured every wavelength, and the resulting Raman spectrum is analyzed, whereby it is possible to identify the molecules contained in the material, and a state of the material.
An analysis object in an analyzing method utilizing the Raman spectrum includes many things such as a polymer material, a metallic compound, and a semiconductor. In recent years, the analysis utilizing the Raman scattered light has been carried out for a biological specimen such as a tissue or a cell derived from the human.
As the analysis for the biological specimen based on the Raman spectrum, for example, a technique for utilizing that analysis in the clinical diagnosis is disclosed. With a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-300611, data on the Raman spectra obtained from a cancer tissue and a normal tissue of the human is collected, standard data is created with respect to various kinds of tissues, and the diagnosis for the cancer is carried out based on the standard data.
Also, in addition to the clinical diagnosis, there is also disclosed a technique for utilizing the Raman spectrum in the analysis for a cultured cell as the biological specimen. For example, with a technique disclosed in JP-T-2005-532547, with regard to a change, such as cell division or apoptosis, generated in the cultured cell, the Raman spectra derived from the respective cultured cells are analyzed, thereby analyzing the changes in the cells.